ScienceBiology

Some Chimpanzees Have a Bone in Their Heart—and Some Humans Might, Too

Scientists in the United Kingdom have discovered a rare bone, called the os cordis, in chimpanzees with a common heart condition. The implications of this finding could extend to humans, who share a close genetic relationship to chimps. Cattle, buffalo, and sheep have it. So do otters, camels, and dogs. Primates, not so much—at least … Continued

ScienceHealth

Meat Still Bad, Two Bummer Studies Confirm

A pair of new studies out Monday might nudge you to reevaluate your meat-eating habit. One study found evidence that eating at least two weekly servings of red meat, particularly processed meat, is linked to a slightly higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death. The second links eating a diet rich in plants to being … Continued

ScienceHealth

A Woman May Have Gotten ‘Broken Heart Syndrome’ After Eating Too Much Wasabi at a Wedding

One woman’s wedding wasabi—apparently mistaken for avocado—ended up sending her to the emergency room with a strange medical condition called broken heart syndrome, according to a new case study. In a paper published this month in the journal BMJ Reports, doctors detailed the unusual incident, which took place in Israel. According to her doctors, the … Continued

EartherClimate Change

As Soon as 2025, Climate Change Could Cause More Birth Defects in the US

Looks like climate change may be breaking hearts in the near future. Literally. A new study out in the Journal of the American Heart Association Wednesday reveals the ways more intense heat and longer heat events as a result of our warming world will impact pregnant mothers and their unborn babies. In short: The U.S. … Continued

ScienceHealth

Why Cancer Is Replacing Heart Disease as the Leading Cause of Death in the U.S.

Heart disease has long been the number one killer in the United States. But a new study out this week is the latest to suggest that it’s only a matter of time before the second leading cause of death—cancer—becomes more commonly fatal for the average person. On the bright side, though, that’s largely because we’ve … Continued

ScienceHealth

No Such Thing as Too Much Exercise, Study Finds

Too much of a good thing can be definitely bad for us. But a new study published Friday in JAMA Network Open suggests that exercise is a clear exception. It found that any level of cardiovascular fitness—including the kind you’d see from elite athletes—is linked to staying alive longer. That exercise is universally great for … Continued

ScienceHealth

An Aspirin a Day Might Not Extend Life for Healthy Older People

A daily low dose of aspirin won’t help healthy older people stay alive any longer, suggests new research published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. It might even raise their risk of dying early of certain things, like cancer. The disappointing findings come from an extensive, randomized, and controlled study that first … Continued

ScienceHealth

Is the New Apple Watch’s ECG Feature Legit?

Many of the products announced during Apple’s annual iPhone event today are sure to get people excited, but it’s the newest, fourth iteration of the Apple Watch that could have grand public health implications. The Apple Watch, already marketed as a heart rate monitor, will now have sensors capable of taking someone’s electrocardiogram (ECG or … Continued

ScienceHealth

People Who Take Supplements Containing This Stimulant Are Risking Their Health, Study Finds

People who use dietary supplements containing an ingredient called higenamine are playing with fire, suggests a new study. There’s often no telling just how much higenamine is packed into a single pill, it found, meaning people could be dosing themselves with dangerously high levels of the plant-based stimulant. The researchers behind the study, published in … Continued

ScienceHealth

A Common Painkiller Has Serious Heart Risks, Study Finds

A commonly used painkiller might be too risky for people to keep taking, suggests a new study published this week in the BMJ. It found that people who use diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), are more likely to come down with cardiovascular disease than people who take other NSAIDs or acetaminophen. Diclofenac is sold … Continued

ScienceHealth

We Need to Pay More Attention to a Deadly Disease Spread by Kissing Bugs, Heart Doctors Warn

A disease that often causes no symptoms, but which can suddenly become fatal years after a person was infected, is receiving a big spotlight from the American Heart Association (AHA). On Monday, the organization published a scientific statement in its journal Circulation, urging heart doctors in the U.S. to start paying attention to Chagas disease, … Continued

ScienceHealth

Married People Are Even More Annoyingly Happy Than We Thought

If it weren’t already vomit-inducing to see your social feeds taken over by newly married friends’ smug selfies and declarations of love, a pair of new studies released this week will only add to the resentment: Married couples who stay together ultimately end up happier and healthier than everyone else. One study, published in the … Continued

ScienceHealth

The Surprising Reason Cardiac Deaths Spike Around the Holidays 

Merry Christmas! Heart-related deaths spike right around the holiday season. And a happy New Year! The spike in heart deaths from the so-called Christmas Holiday Effect had been seen previously by American scientists, and has been attributed to the onset of winter for various reasons. But the new study is based on data from New … Continued

ScienceHealth

Eating a Handful of Nuts Each Day Could Help You Live Longer

A sweeping analysis of current research shows that people who eat at least 20 grams of nuts each day are less likely to develop potentially fatal conditions such as cancer and heart disease. New research published in BMC Medicine is highlighting the impressive health benefits from the regular consumption of nuts such as pecans, hazel … Continued

io9

Researchers Slam 30-Year-Old Guidelines On Fatty Foods

For nearly three decades we’ve been told to avoid fatty foods, like butter and cheese. But new research suggests the guidelines introduced in the U.S. and U.K. “should not have been introduced” for lack of solid scientific evidence. These guidelines were introduced to the United States and United Kingdom in 1977 and 1983 respectively. Other … Continued

Tech News

The Best Predictor Of Heart Disease Is…Twitter?

Normally, when doctors are trying to look at whether an individual is at risk of heart disease, they’ll look at classic indicators of health: smoking, diet, obesity and so on. But according to a University of Pennsylvania study, they might be better off taking a look at their tweets. The researchers tried to find the … Continued

io9

Google X Labs is developing a pill that could one day detect cancer and heart disease. The pill would contain 2,000 nanoparticles coated with antibodies and molecules capable of detecting other molecules, and travel through the patient’s bloodstream in search of malignant cells. The findings would be transmitted to a sensor on a wearable device. … Continued

io9

More evidence that sweetened foods and beverages are killing you

New research published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine shows that eating added sugar in foods such as soft drinks, cereals, and cakes does more than just make us pack on the pounds, it can also increase our risk of dying from heart disease — and by a significant margin. In a nutshell, here’s what … Continued

io9

What we know now about cholesterol that we didn’t 10 years ago

Cholesterol is bad and lowering cholesterol is good. Well, at least this is what we’ve been led to believe for nearly four decades. But it’s a misconception — a big, fat stinking lie. Here’s what we’re learning about cholesterol — and what it really means to your health. Cholesterol is the smoking gun that frequently … Continued

io9

The deadliest ailments on Earth, mapped by their affected tissues

Artist and physician Odra Noel has created an arresting map of global health, plotting microscopic views of the diseased tissues that correspond to each region’s deadliest illnesses. Click here to see in hi-res. The result is a weirdly beautiful combination of epidemiology and microscopy, simply titled “The Map of Health.” North America, plagued by its … Continued